“As a historian I fear Brexit could be the beginning of the destruction of not only the EU but also Western political civilization in its entirety,” Tusk told the German newspaper Bild.

UKIP parliament member Douglas Carswell, who said the Remain campaign was “falling apart,” tweeted: “Why hasn’t Western civilization come to an end already seeing as how most countries are self governing?”

The UK votes on whether to remain in the EU or leave on June 23.

Tusk said the EU would suffer economically if Britain left.

“Every family knows that a divorce is traumatic for everyone,” he said. “Everyone in the EU, but especially the Brits themselves, would lose out economically.”

Tusk also said Turkey would not become a member of the European Union “in its current state.”